# Forward your calls to Upfirst

How to send calls from an existing business number to an Upfirst receptionist.
Written so an AI assistant can walk a business owner through it.

## First, ask which calls Upfirst should answer

Ask the owner this before anything else:

- **All calls.** Upfirst answers every call to the business number.
- **Missed calls only.** The owner's phone rings first. Calls go to Upfirst only
  when they're busy, don't answer, or their phone is off. Also called
  conditional forwarding. This is the usual choice for owners who still want to
  pick up themselves.
- **After hours only.**
  - On a business phone system (VoIP), this is usually possible: most let you
    forward calls on a schedule or outside business hours. Check the provider's
    instructions.
  - On a cell phone, carriers have no scheduled forwarding. The only way is to
    turn all-call forwarding on at closing time and off when the business opens,
    using the codes below. If that's too much hassle, suggest missed-call
    forwarding instead: Upfirst answers whenever the owner can't, after hours
    included.

## Avoid a transfer loop

If the receptionist transfers calls to a person, **the transfer number must not
be the business number that forwards to Upfirst.**

Otherwise the call loops. The business line forwards to Upfirst, Upfirst
transfers back to the business line, and the business line forwards straight
back to Upfirst. The caller never reaches a person.

Before turning on forwarding, check every transfer's destination numbers
(`list_agent_skills`, the `transferCall` skills). Each one should be a
number that rings a person directly, like a cell phone or a direct line, and not
the forwarded business number. This matters most with all-call forwarding, and
also with missed-call forwarding if nobody picks up.

## Before you start

- **Get the Upfirst number.** It's in the Upfirst dashboard, or in
  `get_account_overview` if you're connected over MCP.
- **iPhone users: turn off Live Voicemail first.** Otherwise calls can go to
  voicemail instead of Upfirst. Settings > Phone > Live Voicemail (on some iOS
  versions, Call Forwarding & Live Voicemail), then toggle it off.
- In every code below, replace `[UpfirstNumber]` with the 10-digit Upfirst
  number, no spaces or dashes. For (954) 555-2171, dial `*729545552171`.
- Dial the code from the phone whose calls you want to forward, then press call.

## Mobile carriers

### Verizon

- All calls: `*72[UpfirstNumber]`. Turn off: `*73`
- Missed calls (busy or unanswered): `*71[UpfirstNumber]`. If that doesn't
  work on the device, dial `*90[UpfirstNumber]` (busy) and
  `*92[UpfirstNumber]` (unanswered). Turn off: `*73`

### AT&T

- All calls: `**21*[UpfirstNumber]#`. Turn off: `#21#`
- Missed calls, dial all three:
  - Busy: `**67*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - No answer: `**61*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Unreachable: `**62*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Turn off: `##67#`, `##61#`, `##62#`

### T-Mobile

- All calls: `**21*[UpfirstNumber]#`. Turn off: `#21#`
- Missed calls, dial all three:
  - Busy: `**67*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Unanswered: `**61*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Unreachable: `**62*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Turn off: `##67#`, `##61#`, `##62#`

### Sprint

- All calls: `*72[UpfirstNumber]`. Turn off: `*73`
- Missed calls: busy `*73[UpfirstNumber]`, unanswered `*74[UpfirstNumber]`,
  unreachable `*75[UpfirstNumber]`. Turn off: `*720`

### Boost Mobile

- All calls: `*72[UpfirstNumber]`. Turn off: `*73` or `*720`
- Missed calls: not offered by Boost. Forward all calls instead.

### Mint Mobile

Mint needs a 1 before the number.

- All calls: `**21*1[UpfirstNumber]#`. Turn off: `##21#`
- Missed calls, dial all three:
  - Busy or out of coverage: `**67*1[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Unanswered: `**61*1[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Out of service: `**62*1[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Turn off: `##67#`, `##61#`, `##62#`

### Cricket Wireless and Consumer Cellular

- All calls: `**21*[UpfirstNumber]#`. Turn off: `##21#`
- Missed calls, dial all three:
  - Busy: `**67*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Unanswered: `**61*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Unreachable: `**62*[UpfirstNumber]#`
  - Turn off: `##67#`, `##61#`, `##62#`

### Xfinity Mobile

- All calls: `*72[UpfirstNumber]`. Turn off: `*73`
- Missed calls (unanswered): `*71[UpfirstNumber]`. Turn off: `*73`

## Canadian carriers

### Rogers

- All calls: `*21*[UpfirstNumber]#`, press send, wait for the confirmation
  beeps. Turn off: `##21#`
- Missed calls: busy `*67*[UpfirstNumber]#`, unanswered
  `*61*[UpfirstNumber]#`, unreachable `*62*[UpfirstNumber]#`. Turn off:
  `##67#`, `##61#`, `##62#`

### Bell

- All calls: dial `*72` (`1172` on rotary phones), wait for three beeps and a
  dial tone, then dial the Upfirst number. If Upfirst answers, stay on the line
  for at least 5 seconds to activate it. If it's busy or doesn't answer, hang up
  after 3 seconds and repeat once.
- Turn off: `#73` (`1173` on rotary phones).

### Freedom Mobile

- All calls: `*21*[UpfirstNumber]#`, then press call. Turn off: `#21#`

## Landlines

- All calls: `*72[UpfirstNumber]`. Turn off: `*73`
- Missed-call forwarding on a landline depends on the provider. Call them and
  ask for "call forward busy" and "call forward no answer."

## Business phone systems (VoIP)

Upfirst works with most business phone systems, like RingCentral, Zoom Phone,
Quo (OpenPhone), Weave, Grasshopper, Dialpad, Nextiva, 8x8, and Google Voice.
Their menus change often, so look up the provider's current call-forwarding
instructions on their website or help center rather than guessing. Most offer
all-call, missed-call, and after-hours forwarding.

Whichever system it is, check these settings:

- **Pass through the caller's number.** Forwarded calls should show the original
  caller's number, not the business number. Otherwise Upfirst can't recognize
  callers or text them. On Google Voice, turn off "Show my Google Voice number
  as caller ID when forwarding calls."
- **Turn off call screening** or any "press 1 to accept" step on forwarded
  calls. Upfirst can't press 1, so the call never connects.
- **Set the ring time** for missed-call forwarding to 15 to 20 seconds (3 to 4
  rings), so the call reaches Upfirst before the system's voicemail picks up.
- **Watch for the transfer loop** described above.

### GoDaddy Conversations

GoDaddy Conversations can't forward calls with the original caller's number.
Every forwarded call reaches Upfirst from the same number, so Upfirst can't tell
callers apart, recognize repeat callers, or text them back.

There's no setting that fixes this. The owner has two options:

1. Switch to a different phone provider.
2. Keep GoDaddy, and add a line to the receptionist's knowledge telling it to
   always ask every caller for their phone number. For example: "Always ask the
   caller for the best phone number to reach them, even if you think you already
   have it."

Forwarding steps for GoDaddy: https://help.upfirst.ai/en/articles/13432082-how-to-forward-calls-from-godaddy-conversations

## Test it

1. From a different phone, call the business number.
2. For missed-call forwarding, let it ring without answering.
3. Upfirst should answer. The call shows up in the Upfirst dashboard shortly
   after it ends. Check that it shows the test phone's number, not the business
   number.
4. If the receptionist has transfers set up, ask for a transfer on the test call
   and make sure it reaches a person instead of coming back to Upfirst.

## Troubleshooting

- **Calls go to voicemail.** On iPhone, turn off Live Voicemail. On missed-call
  forwarding, the phone's voicemail may pick up before forwarding; shorten the
  ring time or ask the carrier to.
- **Calls don't forward at all.** Check the Upfirst number was entered
  correctly, then turn forwarding off and on again. Some plans need call
  forwarding enabled by the carrier first.
- **Every call shows the same number.** The phone system is sending its own
  number instead of the caller's. Turn on caller ID pass-through, or see
  GoDaddy Conversations above.
- **A transfer comes straight back to Upfirst.** The transfer goes to the
  forwarded business number. Change it to a direct number.
- **Carrier not listed.** Ask the carrier or phone system provider how to
  forward calls to another number, or email support@upfirst.ai.

More in the help center: https://help.upfirst.ai/en/collections/13249000-call-forwarding